


One Last Moment

by arecumbentibus



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Gen, Hogwarts Era, Introspection, M/M, Pre-Slash, Slash, The Golden Trio, The Golden Trio Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-02
Updated: 2016-09-02
Packaged: 2018-08-12 14:34:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7938286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arecumbentibus/pseuds/arecumbentibus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There was a tense silence and they were both locked into their regular childhood positions, but with added experience and deeper feelings that they didn’t ever want to sit down and discuss.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Last Moment

He was walking down the old school corridors, hanging his head high and taking in the high ceiling above him, the moving portraits that were yelling at him to _“hurry up and get out there!”_ and any nook and cranny that he might’ve missed in his hurry to get to class before. In a minutes time, it was as if he was seeing everything again for the first time as the eleven-year-old terribly confused boy he had been. _“It really is beautiful.”_ he thought.

And it was. From the enchantment that stole his heart and never let him go from the start to the delicious smells that met his nose every morning when he woke up in his four-poster bed and everything in between. It was _magic_ in its most basically form and he would soon be saying farewell.

 _“It’s just not fair!”_ he had said to her with a sign, _“I don’t want to leave, not yet. I’m not through here.”_

She had smiled that knowing smile, that smile that was almost a smirk, _“But you are ready. You knew it was coming.”_

 _“But I didn’t think it would come this fast! Why can’t I just stay?”_ He knew he had been acting childish, but he couldn’t help it. This was his home, his life, and his reason and how could it just be taken away like that? He had _known_ it was coming, but it was always in the back of his mind, always being pushed away and left to think about later. It just so happened that later was now.

 _“I think you already know the answer to that one.”_ she said simply, _“Now, let’s get back to studying the 1856 Goblin Rebellion! There is absolutely no way that I’m going to be failing a test because I can’t remember something that we learned in Third Year!_ ”

He smiled now and began to walk at a less than leisurely pace towards his destination: The Great Hall. _“After all these years and this is where it ends…”_ This is where he had been sorted, this is where he’d received his Firebolt, where Hedwig had delivered his post from Sirius and Dumbledore had always made the formal announcements for the start of term… The feeling of sorrow and grief flowed over him freely and he let it. _“There’s no more time for running away from emotions or tragedy or pain or,”_ his entire body tensed up, _“or love, whatever that even is.”_

It had started with a truce or at least that’s what he told himself. Then things changed and they started talking and seeing each other more and it wasn’t like he ever thought it was going to be. It was _exciting_ and _different_ , but it didn’t render him defenseless or lead him into harm's way. It was dangerous but safe and that’s why he liked it. Then one night things changed to dangerous and _not_ safe. They had both crossed a line, a line that he didn’t want to cross…

 _“Where have you been?”_ the blonde said in a harsh whisper as the old wooden door closed with a bang, _“I’ve been waiting for over half an hour!”_

 _“Well, hello to you too…”_ he mumbled and fumbled with his wand in his left hand, _“I didn’t mean to be late either. I had…”_

_“Other plans, yes,  I already know."_

There was a tense silence and they were both locked into their regular childhood positions, but with added experience and deeper feelings that they didn’t ever want to sit down and discuss. The raven looked down at his feet, then back up again to receive a razor sharp glare from the blonde.

_"Look, can’t we just get down to whatever you wanted to do? That is what I came here for, isn’t it?”_

The blonde smirked, clearly thinking he had won this round, _“Why yes, that is exactly why you’re here… unless you wanted to do something else?”_ his eyes shown with something like desire for – for… He shook his head and looked away, _“No, I don’t want to do anything else. Are we going flying or…?”_ he nervously rubbed his fingers against his wand that was held a few inches away from his waist, before it fell and he bent to pick it up, but he wasn’t fast enough and before he knew it he was face to face with the blonde boy. _“Thanks…”_ he breathed, _“But I could’ve gotten it myself, you know”_

 _“Oh, I’m sure of that, but I wanted to get it for you.”_ There was that look in his eyes again, that looked that he would try to ignore and avoid at all stops. _“Wh-”_ but before he could continue on he was cut off by a pair of pale red lips uniting with his. He was startled at first, but taken by the heat of the moment and he kissed him back, harder and faster and _oh god_ , was it amazing. But _oh god_ , what was he doing? This was not just some random stranger he was kissing, this was not some girl who his kissing skills had obviously made cry. No, this was _him_ and that crossed a line that shouldn’t be crossed.

So, he pulled back and said, _“No, no, no. I’m not ready, I’m never ready for that!”_ and promptly ran out of the room.

That was back in February and now it was June 21st, longest day of light, longest days of memories brought back to light, too, apparently.

He had made it now into the grand opening of The Great Hall and they weren’t all there, some of the places set out only for them would never be filled again and he felt sad about that but mostly nervous. He was terrified, he would not deny it, but he would not run away. He would not run away again.

 _“Oh, there you are!”_ someone was shouting at his side, _“It’s about time. Honestly, I thought I was going to have to say goodbye to everyone all by myself!”_ He turned his head and looked at her, _“Ah, sorry. I was a bit busy just, you know, looking around."_

 _"It’s hard to believe, I know. I was just in the kitchen talking to all of the house elves. Winky’s doing better than when I saw her last, finally off the drink and has stopped talking about her ‘Master’ all of the time. Of course-”_ Harry smiled in spite of himself and hugged her before she was able to go off on another tangent about S.P.E.W. He saw a figure to his left suddenly and then felt chills. _“Is it him? Not now, later. Just a little longer…maybe a century and then I’ll be good!”_

 _“Oi, mate, can I step in for a moment? After all, I am the one that’s going to be gone for a whole month without my girlfriend, aren’t I?”_ No, it wasn’t him and this was better because this was what he was used to – just the three of them having fun and hanging out. He sidestepped out of the way before he was crushed by the young couple and _maybe_ he had spoken too soon because there he was in the back looking at him with such an intense gaze. The raven looked away and told himself to focus on something else, like a conversation that the other two were trying to have with him now.

_“Yeah, but I hate the vanilla chocolate frogs that they’ve got now. Who would come up with that anyways?”_

She sighed in irritation that was offset by a smile that was slowly forming on her face, _“As I’ve told you before just because you don’t like something doesn’t mean it’s the same for everyone else. Your best friend, for instance, loves vanilla chocolate frogs, so who knows if you might have just offended him!”_ He looked at her confused for a moment and then realized that this was her sense of sarcasm and before he could begin to stop himself he started laughing. It wasn’t especially joyous, but it wasn’t bitter or angry either. It was nervous and uncertain, but it helped melt all of his worries and grief and angst away for a second and he saw with perfect clarity that he was being stupid and on top of that a bloody prat. 

He stopped laughing long enough to see the look his friends, his absolute best friends in the world, were giving him. _“Are you alright?”_ they said in unison. _“Yeah, yeah. I’ve never been better actually.”_ They didn’t look convinced, but she spoke up a second later, _“Well,  are you ready then? I think it’s just about time.”_

 _“I am ready. It’s going to be crazy, but I don’t have much else to lose at this point.”_ And not realizing what he meant, they began to try and guide him towards the front of The Great Hall. He didn’t budge, but instead told them both that he would be there in a second; that he had unfinished business to attend to real quick.

He walked towards the back, his heart beating at a dangerous level, but he was safe even if his surroundings were different. _“And I’m ready. I really am.”_

Before he knew it he was planted directly in front of the blonde. _“Hello,”_ he said. _“I’m ready."_

**Author's Note:**

> This work was originally posted to my Tumblr (killthefez) on October 28th, 2010.


End file.
